PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Loose Use Of ‘Compassion’

By STAFF REPORT

Posted: November 8, 2009 at 4:23 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

LITTLE ROCK — I am increasingly perplexed when people pull the “compassion” card or Scripture on fellow Americans (who I believe to be the most compassionate and generous people in the world) concerning how we should deal with illegal aliens, and cannot help but feel that they have been brain washed by the “illegal” lobby which is making millions off illegal immigration, and politicians with self-serving political agendas. It sends up red flags for me when people try to call wrong right and use compassion and Scripture for their authority.

If “compassion” is how we are to determine who comes into our country and stays, would we not start with the most deserving? If a better life is the yardstick for those calling for “compassion,” I submit that, according to research, there are millions of people in the world with less (and less opportunity) than those entering our country illegally - those people simply are too poor and too oppressed to get here. What do we say tothem? What do we say to the millions of Americans living in poverty (under the new economic downturn - the result of illegal immigration - there are more and more) who want a better life? To families who cannot afford healthcare or to send their children to college, yet are required to pay taxes to cover free healthcare and tuition for illegals; or what do we say to seniors who eat dog food because they cannot afford anything else. What do we say to future generations who will suffer because we did not do our duty on our watch and allowed our economy to be destroyed by misplaced “compassion?”

I could go on and on, but I think it is sufficient to say that I believe there are many of our own as well as in other countries who are far more deserving of our compassion than those coming into our country illegally.

I suggest that our compassion and outcry is long overdue for our own, and that this new outcry for those who chooseto break our laws is unjust and more of an emotional response to propaganda geared to evoke such instead of one that is well thought out.

Since none of us have unlimited resources to take care of the whole world’s “deserving,” I submit that those of us who are Christians, Scripturally prioritize those deserving our compassion, and, that we do it God’s way by protecting our own first. I can’t remember who said, “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom,” but it constantly reminds me to think things through before buying in.

In closing, I submit that it is neither un-Christian nor un-American to oppose illegal immigration. It is our duty and responsibility - and most certainly a proper use of our “compassion.”

SUE RICHARDSON / Bella Vista

Greenhouse Gas Bills Are Payback

The Kerry-Boxer and the Waxman-Markey global warming (Cap and Trade) bills currently in committee in the House and Senate are designed to inflict more pain on the states that swung red in the last election than on those that went blue. In other words Arkansans should prepare for massive political payback and Marxist punishment for not supporting Obama.

Consider:

The American Clean Energy and Security Act in the Senate and House’s Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act both call for dramatic reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, up to 83 percent.

When EPA’s data for carbon dioxide emissions by state is compared with state populations and the 83 percent reduction called for in both bills is applied,a pattern emerges for those who live in the states that Obama failed to carry last November and that includes Arkansas.

The pain inflicted upon them will be much higher as the work that their citizens do and the things that they produce, like food, energy, and the circumstances of their day to day lives supposedly, with no scientific consensus, result in higher per capita CO2 emissions.

That elected office holders in the hardest hit states would even consider laws so unfair to their constituency may be puzzling to the average Arkansans. But politicians know that after enacting onerous laws with one hand, they, and regulators abetting them, will accrue even more power by arranging special treatment of favored constituencieswith the other.

Clearly, this approach to emissions per person per state reflects all sorts of realities that would affect Arkansas and be created by such massive legislation. For example:

The costs imposed on Texas or Louisiana oil refineries and tagged onto fuel sold across state lines goes to other state’s economies, including Arkansas’.

It is definite that Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas would be hit harder than Massachusetts and California.

And it just so happens that Massachusetts and California happen to be, respectively, the states from which two influential global warming bills’ authors are from.

There will be huge unfairly applied costs under this legislation for all RedStates including Arkansas as Governor Beebe is a Global Warming believer and Obama supporter so what does he have in his plans for us? CO2 fingerprints will be all over the battered economic bodies of the red state victims.

I bet you thought Cap and Trade had died, but you have only stopped hearing about it because the Socialist Liberals are attempting to quietly slip this one under Obama’s door and our noses. I urge all voters to contact their Congressmen, Senators and State legislators and voice clear opposition to all of these “AL Gore-ish” bills and if they don’t listen vote them out of office in the next election. Our economy is bad enough without this kind of hope and change.

TERRY EVERS / Springdale

Opinion, Pages 8 on 11/08/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.